5 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier

After weeks of careful eating, our resolution to eat healthy often fails. We thought eating healthy shouldn't be so hard, and as we found out with a little research, it really isn't. Here are 5 principles of a healthy diet that are easy to stick to, so you can be as healthy all year as you are on January 1st.

1. Choose Frozen over Canned

Canned fruits and veggies contain added sugars and sodium, while their frozen counterparts are preserved immediately after harvesting, locking in all the same essential nutrients you find in non-frozen produce.

In addition to an extended shelf life compared to whole fruits and veggies, the frozen versions can be easy to cook too. Just boil with pasta for a full meal ready in minutes. Add frozen fruit to smoothies without defrosting to save ice and add flavor.

2. Scan Labels

No need to read the whole label. If the processed food you’re holding contains more than 5 ingredients, it’s a good idea to skip. The fewer ingredients in food, generally the healthier it is.

3. Aim for a Colorful Plate

The color of the food you are eating is a good indication of what kind of nutrients it contains. By eating from an array of colors, you ensure your body gets nutrients from every end of the spectrum.

4. Pre-Portion Foods

It takes about 20 minutes for our brain to register that our stomach is full, so we may feel hungry and continue to eat even after our body has gotten what it needs. Pre-package snacks in individual bags so you don’t binge when you’re hungry.

5. Drink Water

Don’t drink your daily calories away. Any drink other than water is going to contain added sugars and preservatives that are unnecessary to your body and may even cause dehydration. Allow yourself one sugary drink or alcoholic beverage per day and consume water with all other meals instead. Added bonus: water will make you feel fuller, while sugary drinks can actually increase your appetite. So drink up!